Furnace



March 18, 1924. 1,487,612

"r. SEBRING FURNACE Filed March 7, 1921 s Sheat-Sheet 1 II M H l I lMarch 18 1924.

' 1,487,612 T. C. SEBRING FURNACE Filed March '7, 1921 I5 Sheets-Sheet 2March 18, 1924. 1,487,612

T. c. SEBRING FURNACE Filed March 7. 1921 3 Sheets-Sheet '5 PatentedMar. 18, 1924.

UNITED s'rara rHEosIso. sEBRINe, or ivronnnor. MICHIGAN.

FURNACE.

Application filed March 7, 1921. 7 Serial No. 450,274.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, THEOSIS C. SEBRING, a citizen of the United Statesof America, residing at Morenci, Lenawee County, Michigan, have inventednew and useful Furnaces, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fuel burning apparatus, more particularly hotair furnaces, and aims to provide a novel and improved structure of thatkind.

One of the more specific objects is the provision r novel means forloosening the fuel in the fuel reservoir above the fire pot should therebe a caking or coking of the fuel at the wall or walls of the reservoir.

Another object is the provision of novel grate shaking means for shakinggrate sections simultaneously as a unit or relatively to one another.

A further object is to provide a chamber surrounding the fire potthrough which the products of combustion pass, with means for thepassage of air to be heated by the products of combustion in saidchamber.

A still further object is the provision of an air chamber within thefire pot constructed for the fiow'of air into the fuel surrounding saidchamber, and for the separate flow of air in hollow bars of said chamberfor air heating purposes.

Referring to the drawings Fig. 1 is a side elevation of an embodiment ofthe invention in a hot air furnace,

portions being broken away and shown in section; V r

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the furnace of Fig. 1, parts beingbroken away to show their relation in various sections thereof;

Fig. 3 is a plan view ofthe grate;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of one of the bars for the air supplychamber;

Fig. 5 is a section of another form of air supply chamber with returntravel provision through the hollow bars thereof;

Fig. 6 is a detail view in section of a modified construction of firepotand air chamber;

Fig. 7 is a view similar to Fig. 6, of a further modification in the airchamber;

Fig. 8 is a detail view of another form of firepot capacity adjustmentby shifting the grate as'to the firepot; and

Fig. 9 is a perspective view of a shaker for thegrate of Figs. 1, 2, 3.

I The hot air furnace jacket or casing l is shown as provided with adoor 2 for the introduction of solid fuel'into a. reservoir 'ormagazine3, disposed above and registering with a firepot 4 therebelow.Fitting ring 5 so that the prongs 6 may loosen fuel,

should there be a tendency of such fuel to cake or coke against thereservoir wall and not freely feed down from said reservoir.

Below the firepot 4 is disposed a grate comprising lower section 10 andupper section 11. The lower section 10 has the sectorshaped openings 13and arcuate slots 12 between them, while the upper section 11 hasarcuate slots 14 normally above the openings 13 of the grate section 10and sector-shaped openings 15 normally above the slots 12 of the gratesection 10. The grate section 10 has a projecting arm 16 under aprojecting arm 17 of the grate section 11. For shaking the grate thereis provided a shaker 18, Fig. 9, having a pivot pin 19 which may enteropening 20 in the armv 16. This shaker 18 has a U-portion 21 which mayfit over the arms 17 and 16 of the grate sections and when so mountedthe arms 16, 17, are operated together as a unit in shak ing this gratestructure. VVhenthe shaker 18 is turned the'other side up and the pin 19is in the opening 20 of the arm 16, a pin 22 of the shaker may enterslot 23 in the arm 17 andoperation of the shaker 18 will now result insimultaneous opposite or relatively opposite shifting of the two gratesections for shearing or more efiectively loosening ash' or clinkeraccumulations. Such material passing through these grate sections 10,11,1 enters chamber 24 from which it maybe passed by rocking doors 25 ontheir bearings 26. The ash is thus dumped into lower ash pit 27 fromwhich it may be removed by opening ash door 28. Air supply may bepermitted through controllable damper 29 in the ash door 28, this airsupply passing by way of central up-sha-ft 30 into an air chamber 31having the top closure portion '32, and lateral openings 33 for the flowof air from within the air chamber through said openings into the fuelsurrounding said chamber, the chamber being located centrally within thefire pot. The air flows radially from the openings or slots 23 laterallythrough the fuel, and the wall of the fire pot 4 has the slots oropenings 34 for the radial outlet of the products of combustion into theannular space between said fire pot wall and the surrounding wall 85,which may be an extension of the lower end ofthe wall of the reservoir3. The wall 35 has outlets 36 opening through the inner wall of achamber 37 which at least extends part way around the fire pot. thechamber 37 being preferably annular to completely surround the fire pot.Said chamber 3'? receives the products of COIIllHlSCl-On from theoutlets 36 of the fire pot, and an outlet pipe 40 extends from saidchamber 37. Air ducts or passages 41 extend vertically through thechamber 37, for the upward flow of air therethrough to be heated by thecontact of the products of combustion with said ducts within thechamber, and a horizontal baffle 38 and vertical partition 39 arelocated within said chamber, for creating the flow of the products ofcombustion in opposite directions in the chamber past said ducts,whereby to heat said ducts and transmit as much heat from the productsof combustion to the air as possible.

In the handling of finer fuels there may be a tendency for such fuel tospill into the air chamber 31. To avoid this difliculty there is mountedon the air chamber 31 an annular apron or overhanging rim 42.

In the adaptation of this apparatus as an air heater, the fuel burningstructure is shown as surrounded by a drum 43 of the casing, which isshown as provided with a cold air supplyv duct 44 and warm air take offducts 45.

The air chamber 31 is air cooled, to prevent excessive heating thereof,and to also assist in heating the air. Thus, the vertical air shaft ormember 30 has double walls providing an annular air space 47 between thewalls, into which air is supplied by way of the ducts or pipes 46. Thewall of the chamber 31 is composed of vertical hollow bars 49,'havingthe passages 48 therein, and the lower ends of said bars are fittedtogether on the upper edges of the walls of the shaft or member 30,whereby the air flows from the passage 47 up through the passages 48.The bars are spaced apart to provide the openings or slots 33 throughwhich the air flows outwardly fronrwit-hin the chamber 31. A duct orpipe 50 extends upwardly centrally within the fire pot and reservoir,and has its lower end fitted over the upper ends of the bars 49, toreceive the air from the passages 48, and deliver the heated air intothe upper portion of the casing 1. The top 32 of the chamber 31 diallyextending arm 53 projecting through the opening 8 f the magazine orreservoir adjacent the arm 7. This arm 53 carries a shield 54 similar tothe shield 9 for the arm 7. Accordingly, arms '7, 53, protruding throughshield of the furnace may be shifted as found desirable for looseningthe fuel and working such down into the fire pot 4.

In instances where it is not desired to charge the magazine with fuel atthe door 2, such fuel charge may occur at the door 56. The arms 16, 17for shaking the grates are accessible by opening a door 57. In instanceswhere it may not be desirable to run a central flue 5O upward throughthe magazine 3 and wherein it is desired to have air circulation throughhollow bars of the air chamber 31 there may be provided a cap 58, Fig.5, over the air chamber 31', and the chamber 62 between the walls 50 ofthe member 30 may have partitions 59 at opposite sides so that there maybe inflow of air by way of duct 46' upward through the space 62 at oneside and through the bars 49' into the chamber 61 below the cap 58,thence down. through an opposite series of the bars 49 into the otherpart of the space 62 and off by way of a duct 63.

Figs. 6 and 7 show means for the provision of varying the capacity ofthe fire pot, by changing the width of the fuel burning region betweenthe wall of the fire potand the central air chamber. Fig. 6 shows acentral air chamber or dome 65 of small diameter having its neck fittedin the upper end of the air shaft or member Sl and said chamber or domehas the air openings 64 in the side wall thereof. This provides formaximum capacity between the air chamber and fire pot wall. As shown inFig. 7, an air chamber or dome 66 of larger diameter is disposed in thefire pot, having the openings 65' in its wall, thereby restricting orreducing the capacity.

Fig. 8 shows means for reducing the capacity of the fire pot verticallyinstead of horizontally, as in Fig. 7. Thus, the bot tom grate sections;10 and 11 are raised and supported by the inner and outer ringsorsupports 68 and 69, respectively, which are seated on the respectivesupporting lugs 67 and 70. This raising of the bottom grate will notonly make the fire pot shallower,

but will also reduce the flow of air from the air chamber across thebottom grate. This adjustment of the grate enables the capacity of thefire pot to be regulated, and the burning of the fuel to be changedaccording to conditions, in adapting the apparatus for differentbuildings and circumstances. The burning in this furnace is transverselythrough the fuel with the heated gases unchilled by any passing of itthrough unburned fuel. That is, at once the gases are abstracted fromthe fuel, such gases pass from the fuel in a heated region directed tothe combustion chamber and the V supply of fuel is uniform at all times,thereby permittin a regular draft to produce a smokeless and completecombustion with advantages of expert stolring without the complicationsincidental thereto.

Fixed rings 71 may serve to hold the load of fuel off the upper edge ofthe fuel loosening members 5, 51.

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by United States LettersPatent is 1. A fuel burning apparatus comprising a fire pot, a fuelreservoir above said fire pot, and a ring rotatably fitted within thewall of the reservoir and formed with means for loosening fuel from saidwall above the fire pot.

2. A fuel burning apparatus comprising a fire pot, a fuel reservoirabove said fire pot, and a ring rotatably fitted within the wall of saidreservoir and formed with depending prongs for loosening fuel from saidwall above the fire pot.

3. A fuel burning apparatus comprising a the pot, a fuel reservoir abovesaid fire pot, a duct centrally f the fire pot and reservoir, and meansmovable on the exterior of said duct for loosening fuel therefrom.

4. A. fuel burning apparatus comprising a fire pot, a fuel reservoirabove said lire pot, a duct located centrally of said fire pot andreservoir, and a ring movable on said duct having means for looseningfuel from the exterior thereof.

5. A fuel burning apparatus including a reservoir for fuel supply, afirepot, a central duct upwardly extending as to saidfirepot, a ringabout the duct having prongs extending toward the firepot, and means forshifting the ring as to the firepot.

6. A fuel burning apparatus embodying a fire pot, an air chambercentrally within said fire pot around which the fuel is burned, andhaving hollow bars for the uphaving vertical hollow bars, a doublewalledmember below said bars for supplying air into said chamber and having aspace between the walls thereof communicating with said bars for theflow of air through the bars, said bars being spaced apart for the flowof air from within said chamber between the bars into the fuel, andmeans for the flow of air through said space and bars. 7

8. A fuel burning apparatus embodying a fire pot, an air chambercentrally of the fire pot around which the fuel is burned and havingvertical hollow bars, a doublewalled member below said bars forsupplying air into said chamber and having a space between the walls forsupplying air to said bars, the lower ends of the bars being fitted onthe upper edges of the walls of said member, said bars being spacedapart for the flow of air from within said chamber between the bars intothe fuel,'and means fitting the upper ends of said bars for receivingthe air therefrom.

9. A fuel burning apparatus embodying. a fire pot, an air chambercentrally of said fire pot around which the fuel is burned, and havingspaced hollow vertical bars, a member below said bars for supplying airinto said chamber and having double walls with a space between the wallsfor supplying air to said bars, the lower ends of said bars being fittedon the upper edges of said walls, and meansfitted on the upper ends'ofsaid bars for receiving the air therefrom, said chamber including a topclosure at the upper ends of said bars for shutting off communicationbetween the interior of said chamber and means. 7

In witness whereof I afix my signature.

THEOSIS C. SEBRING.

